Cargo ship breakdown blocks Rhine River traffic in Germany

A cargo ship is sailing on the Rhine in Duesseldorf, Germany, Monday, Aug. 15, 2022. (Federico Gambarini/dpa via AP)

BERLIN — A cargo ship that broke down on the Rhine River caused a backup of other ships Wednesday near the German town of St. Goar.

The ship blocked the river until midday, when it was towed downstream to the town of Bingen. Water police said other ships heading in the same direction would have to wait until the one with a non-working engine reached St. Goar, which was expected in the early evening.

It was not immediately clear how many ships were held up on the river and when traffic would return to normal.

The police said it did not appear the cargo ship's problem stemmed from the Rhine's seriously low water levels.

Divers in Bingen planned to examine the ship for damage, German news agency dpa reported.